Wellington's Foot Guards at Waterloo: The Men Who Saved the Day Against Napoleon

by Robert Burnham, Ron McGuigan

Overview

During the Waterloo Campaign, Wellington had only one division that was composed entirely of British infantry, the 1st Division. This consisted of two brigades of the most famous regiments of the British Army the three regiments of Guards.The exploits of the Guards at Waterloo have passed into legend. On that day, Wellington entrusted the most crucial part of his line to the men he knew would hold their position at all cost. That vital position was the Chteau d'Hougoumont, and those men were the Guards.As the great battle unfolded, the French threw more and more troops at the walls of Hougoumont, setting some of the Chteaus buildings on fire and almost forcing their way in through its northern gateway. Though almost an entire French corps was engaged in the struggle for Hougoumont, the detachment of the Guards valiantly resisted every attack.Then, as the battle reached its climax, Napoleon launched his Imperial Guard at the centre of Wellingtons line. Just as the French believed that victory was in their grasp, up stood the 1st Guards Brigade to deliver a devastating volley, followed by a ferocious bayonet charge from which the French never recovered.The experienced duo of Robert Burnham and Ron McGuigan have compiled the first comprehensive study of the Guards Division throughout the entire Waterloo campaign, from the initial deployment in Belgium to the Occupation of Paris. The book also includes an explanation of the organisation and composition of the two brigades and personal details of many of the Guards officers the men who saved the day at Waterloo.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526709882
Publisher:	Frontline Books
Publication date:	01/31/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	344
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Having had numerous articles published on the Peninsular War and the British Army, the renowned historian and author ROBERT BURNHAM hosts the pre-eminent Napoleonic website, the Napoleon Series. This fascinating and all-embracing website, the largest of its kind, is a 'must' for anyone interested in the Napoleonic era. RON MCGUIGAN, from Canada, is a recognized specialist on the British Army of the period, who has been researching the era for forty years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction ix

Abbreviations List of Maps xiv

Chapter 1 The Guards Battalions 1

Chapter 2 The Guards Officers 16

Chapter 3 The Enlisted Soldier 25

Chapter 4 April 1814 to March 1815 Inspections, Parades, and Boredom 33

Chapter 5 March to June 1815 War Clouds on the Horizon 43

Chapter 6 16 June 1815 The March To War 65

Chapter 7 16 June 1815 Quatre Bras 76

Chapter 8 17 June 1815 The Retreat to Waterloo 91

Chapter 9 18 June 1815 The Morning of Waterloo 113

Chapter 10 18 June 1815 Waterloo 11.00-13.30 Hours 125

Chapter 11 18 June 1815 Waterloo 13.30-16.00 Hours 137

Chapter 12 18 June 1815 Waterloo 16.00-20.00 Hours 159

Chapter 13 18 June 1815 Waterloo 20.00-21.00 Hours 181

Chapter 14 The Night After Waterloo 198

Chapter 15 The March to Paris, the Siege of Peronné, and the Army of Occupation of France 216

Chapter 16 What Happened to Them After Waterloo? 253

Appendix I Organization of the Foot Guard Regiments in 1815 277

Appendix II Monthly Strength Returns for the Foot Guards Battalions in 1815 281

Appendix III The 1st Division Officers at Quatre Bras (16.00 Hours) 287

Appendix IV Strength of the Foot Guards Regiments on 18 June 1815 295

Appendix V The 1st Division Officers at Waterloo (08.00 Hours) 296

Appendix VI The 1st Division Officers on the March to Paris 304

Appendix VII Guards Officers on the Staff of Wellington's Army from June 1815 to November 1818 312

Appendix VIII 1st Foot Guards Casualties in the Waterloo Campaign 323

Appendix IX Coldstream Guards Casualties in the Waterloo Campaign 335

Appendix X 3rd Foot Guards Casualties in the Waterloo Campaign 340

Appendix XI British Awards 345

Appendix XII Foreign Awards 349

Appendix XIII Promotions within the Guards Regiments Caused by Deaths 351

Appendix XIV Other Officer Promotions in the Guards Regiments in 1815 354

Appendix XV The Waterloo Dispatch 357

Bibliography 359

Name Index 366